When Ladies Meet (1941 film)

When Ladies Meet (television broadcast title: Strange Skirts) is a 1941 American romantic comedy film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Greer Garson, Herbert Marshall, and Spring Byington in a story about a novelist in love with her publisher. The screenplay by S.K. Lauren and Anita Loos was based upon a 1932 play by Rachel Crothers. The film was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who also co-produced the film (with Orville O. Dull). The film was a remake of the 1933 pre-Code film of the same name, which starred Ann Harding, Myrna Loy, Robert Montgomery, and Frank Morgan in the roles played by Garson, Crawford, Taylor and Marshall.

When Ladies Meet
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Z. Leonard
Produced byRobert Z. Leonard
Orville O. Dull
Written byS.K. Lauren
Anita Loos
Leon Gordon (playwright)
John Meehan (screenwriter)
Based onWhen Ladies Meet
1932 play
by Rachel Crothers
StarringJoan Crawford
Robert Taylor
Greer Garson
Herbert Marshall
Music byBronislau Kaper
CinematographyRobert H. Planck
Edited byRobert Kern
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • August 29, 1941 (1941-08-29)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$640,000[1]
Box office$1,846,000[1]

Synopsis

Mary Howard (Joan Crawford) is a novelist with advanced ideas about love and marriage, and is in love with her publisher, Rogers Woodruff (Herbert Marshall). She decides the only logical thing to do is to lure him away from his wife and marry him. Mary's friend, Jimmy (Robert Taylor), however, is convinced he's the right man for her and pursues her. He sees through her rationalizations and wrong-thinking and decides to throw Mary and Woodruff's wife Claire (Greer Garson) together at the house of a friend (Spring Byington). The two women do not know each other, but during their chats Mary appreciates and respects Claire's maturity and wisdom. When Mary learns Woodruff is a philandering womanizer of long standing, she realizes she cannot love him and welcomes Jimmy's attentions.

Cast

Reception

Howard Barnes of the New York Herald Tribune wrote, "Even when [Crawford] is wearing spectacles, she is not particularly convincing in the part."[2]

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $1,162,000 in the US and Canada and $684,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $607,000.[1]

Awards and nominations

The film earned an Academy Award nomination for art directors Cedric Gibbons, Randall Duell and Edwin B. Willis.[3]

DVD release

When Ladies Meet was released on Region 1 DVD on March 23, 2009 from the online Warner Bros. Archive Collection.

References
  1. The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. Quirk, Lawrence J.. The Films of Joan Crawford. The Citadel Press, 1968.
  3. "NY Times: When Ladies Meet". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
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